The Devil We Resist
Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (ESV).
Paul spent three years in Ephesus (Acts 20:31). During that time “God was performing extraordinary miracles” through him and casting out demons (19:11-12). Others tried to mimic this in the name of Jesus, but they were humiliated (19:13-16). Paul’s admonitions were thus not so far-fetched to the Ephesians since they had witnessed demonic oppression in their city. Of course Paul did nothing that Jesus had not previously done in and around Palestine, for Jesus is portrayed throughout the Gospels as relieving those who were demonically oppressed through exorcism. This in itself was one of the most obvious signs of the arrival of God’s kingdom.
The enemy we as Christians face is not government or the evil candidates that run for office. God has set up government as the tool through which He works, as His servant, and Christians are commanded to comply with the governing authorities (Rom. 13:1ff.; cf. Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-14). That these governments can become demonic, however, is evident to all who follow Christ. In fact, Revelation 13 reveals that the government of the end-times will be the devil’s conduit through which he himself rules the world. That Satan would corrupt what God made good is nothing new, for he has done that from the beginning of time. Man allowed Satan to rule over him in Eden, and God has allowed it, intervening throughout history to protect His own and allow His perfect plan to unfold in the process.
The process of allowing evil in the world by God can be seen in history, dating back to Eden in Genesis 3. It continues even today, for Satan mixes enough truth with error to dupe just about everyone he hunts. Truth-twisting is his expertise. Today his biggest lies are that sexual pleasures and materialism are the paths to happiness. He also loves to cause people to doubt God’s goodness, as he did with Eve in Genesis 3:1-5. Yet those who pursue these sinful ways remain depressed, anxious, and fearful. No wonder alcohol and drug abuse are so common. People are looking for a fix, something to help them find peace or power. Satan is always there to lure those looking for such things. He goes to great lengths to destroy lives, having no conscience, no pity, no guilt. He has emotions, however, rejoicing when people fail, suffer, or die; being infuriated and humiliated when God’s people stand up under trial and resist him (cf. James 4:7).
The attacks of the devil are rarely done in the open. He hides well in pseudo-Christianity, a wolf dressed up as a lamb—sometimes in the pulpit preaching at large churches, but other times a quiet congregant no one suspects is spreading lies, hurting children, and creating doubt about the truth of Jesus Christ and His word. He came to the Council of Nicea in AD 325 to propose that Jesus was not God through the followers of Arius. He succeeded for centuries in keeping the Bible untaught in churches until Martin Luther faced him at the Diet of Worms in 1521. Having been around for thousands of years, he has become a skilled philosopher, a cunning theologian, a capable psychologist, and a lovable preacher. Yet behind it all, he hates Jesus and Christians, and he will won’t stop until either Christ’s church is destroyed or he is. Though his doom is guaranteed by God, so too is the doom of all who fall prey to his schemes.
When Christ appeared, He came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Satan is powerful, but he is no match for God. He is merely a tool of God’s, being used to separate God’s children from his own (1 John 3:10). We as Christians are therefore to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might, putting on the full armor of God, and standing firm (Eph. 6:1-13). If we are filled with the Spirit (5:18), Satan’s forces cannot subdue us. But if we choose to let him has his way with us, we put ourselves in danger and welcome the demonic host into our lives.
Paul spent three years in Ephesus (Acts 20:31). During that time “God was performing extraordinary miracles” through him and casting out demons (19:11-12). Others tried to mimic this in the name of Jesus, but they were humiliated (19:13-16). Paul’s admonitions were thus not so far-fetched to the Ephesians since they had witnessed demonic oppression in their city. Of course Paul did nothing that Jesus had not previously done in and around Palestine, for Jesus is portrayed throughout the Gospels as relieving those who were demonically oppressed through exorcism. This in itself was one of the most obvious signs of the arrival of God’s kingdom.
The enemy we as Christians face is not government or the evil candidates that run for office. God has set up government as the tool through which He works, as His servant, and Christians are commanded to comply with the governing authorities (Rom. 13:1ff.; cf. Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-14). That these governments can become demonic, however, is evident to all who follow Christ. In fact, Revelation 13 reveals that the government of the end-times will be the devil’s conduit through which he himself rules the world. That Satan would corrupt what God made good is nothing new, for he has done that from the beginning of time. Man allowed Satan to rule over him in Eden, and God has allowed it, intervening throughout history to protect His own and allow His perfect plan to unfold in the process.
The process of allowing evil in the world by God can be seen in history, dating back to Eden in Genesis 3. It continues even today, for Satan mixes enough truth with error to dupe just about everyone he hunts. Truth-twisting is his expertise. Today his biggest lies are that sexual pleasures and materialism are the paths to happiness. He also loves to cause people to doubt God’s goodness, as he did with Eve in Genesis 3:1-5. Yet those who pursue these sinful ways remain depressed, anxious, and fearful. No wonder alcohol and drug abuse are so common. People are looking for a fix, something to help them find peace or power. Satan is always there to lure those looking for such things. He goes to great lengths to destroy lives, having no conscience, no pity, no guilt. He has emotions, however, rejoicing when people fail, suffer, or die; being infuriated and humiliated when God’s people stand up under trial and resist him (cf. James 4:7).
The attacks of the devil are rarely done in the open. He hides well in pseudo-Christianity, a wolf dressed up as a lamb—sometimes in the pulpit preaching at large churches, but other times a quiet congregant no one suspects is spreading lies, hurting children, and creating doubt about the truth of Jesus Christ and His word. He came to the Council of Nicea in AD 325 to propose that Jesus was not God through the followers of Arius. He succeeded for centuries in keeping the Bible untaught in churches until Martin Luther faced him at the Diet of Worms in 1521. Having been around for thousands of years, he has become a skilled philosopher, a cunning theologian, a capable psychologist, and a lovable preacher. Yet behind it all, he hates Jesus and Christians, and he will won’t stop until either Christ’s church is destroyed or he is. Though his doom is guaranteed by God, so too is the doom of all who fall prey to his schemes.
When Christ appeared, He came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Satan is powerful, but he is no match for God. He is merely a tool of God’s, being used to separate God’s children from his own (1 John 3:10). We as Christians are therefore to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might, putting on the full armor of God, and standing firm (Eph. 6:1-13). If we are filled with the Spirit (5:18), Satan’s forces cannot subdue us. But if we choose to let him has his way with us, we put ourselves in danger and welcome the demonic host into our lives.
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Our mailing address is:
Harvest Bible Church
14954 Mueschke Road
Cypress, TX 77433
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